Weaknesses

Audi A1 prices from £7,999 Finance from£78 per month

Small and affordable, but with Audi style and luxury: it’s no wonder that the little A1 has been a huge hit since it first appeared in 2010. In fact, it’s still selling strongly, despite the arrival of an all-new 2018 Audi A1 later this year.

The new version on the horizon does mean that deals on the current car are increasingly competitive, and it remains a good buy, even if rivals, such as the Volkswagen Polo, Seat Ibiza and Ford Fiesta are approaching its standards of quality.

That said, the Audi’s not much more expensive than these cars, when you take its standard equipment (including cruise control, parking sensors and dashboard screen on current models) into account. You may find that it’s cheaper on a finance deal because it holds on to its value well. For instance, used Audi A1s start from £78 per month.

It has a design with a deep grille and swept-back headlights that mirrors Audi’s larger and more expensive models. There’s the same shape of steering wheel, the same buttons and the same dashboard screen as the A4 and A6 - even if the size of these are all a little smaller.

The interior uses higher quality materials and feels better put together than much of its competition, but it lacks the latest technology. The car's pop-up screen and mass of dashboard buttons can't match the slick design of more mainstream rivals. The graphic design has clearly aged and you won’t find Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, although Bluetooth (standard on all but entry-level cars) does allow you to pair your phone.

Technology aside, you can make the A1 sumptuous to suit your tastes. Luxury personalisation options include a Bose stereo, leather seats, panoramic sunroof and plenty of contrasting colour options - for a price.

On the road, the A1 is comfortable, and stable in corners, making it feel like a bigger car, similar to the latest VW Polo. You’ll have much more fun in the responsive and more modern Mini Hatchback, but the Audi A1 is more about smooth, steady and calm progress. For a balance of comfort and sharp, responsive cornering, you’re better off with a Ford Fiesta or Seat Ibiza.

Many Audi A1 Sport and S line models are less comfortable because they are fitted with firm sport suspension as standard, although new buyers could opt for the regular set-up at no extra cost. The S1 is also an exception, as it’s a powerful hot hatchback.

Three door cars (with two front doors and the boot lid that makes three) are cheaper and have a simpler, more attractive design, but the five-door models, named Sportback, are more practical if you’re going to be using the back seats frequently.

The engine line-up has been updated throughout the car’s life, so they offer competitive levels of power and fuel economy, so the car performs well on all roads.

The A1 was awarded a full five-star safety rating in 2010 by the independent Euro NCAP organisation, but it has not been assessed under the latest tests, which are considerably tougher. There’s no option to have increasingly common features such as automatic emergency braking, but there are two sets of Isofix mounting points for child seats in the back.

A1 engines include petrol (TFSI) and diesel (TDI) and their size is shown in litres (here it's 1.0). The PS rating distinguishes different power ratings of the same-size engine and is virtually identical to horsepower.

Gearbox

S tronic indicates an automatic gearbox

Audi A1 Engines

1.0 TFSI, 1.4 TFSI, 2.0 TFSI quattro, 1.6 TDI

The Audi A1 engine range is fairly easy to get your head around. First of all, there's a 1-litre petrol engine, badged TFSI, with 95 horsepower (hp), which is plenty for nippy, smooth driving, both in town and on the motorway. It's cheap to run too: although you're unlikely to match the official 67.3mpg rating, a real-world figure of 50mpg is achievable, according to the Equa Index, which calculates fuel economy based on public road testing.

A larger 1.4-litre TFSI petrol engine is available with 125hp. A 150hp version was previously available too. It has reasonable running costs (both versions return around 44mpg in real-world conditions) despite its brisk performance figures - the faster version will go from 0-62mph in just 7.8 seconds.

The 1.6 TDI diesel engine isn't as smooth as the petrols, but they’re still quiet and offer impressively low running costs. The diesels are only the best option if you spend a lot of time on the motorway, where the fuel savings will more than pay for the higher purchase price. If you're buying a diesel from 2014 or earlier, then it's unlikely to meet the latest Euro 6 emissions standard, which will make it liable for London's emissions charge as well as some other regional diesel charges.

The 2.0 TFSI engine in the S1 is lifted straight from the Volkswagen Golf GTI, and is seriously quick. It’s coupled with Audi’s quattro four-wheel drive system so it’s easy to apply its power to the road.

Audi A1 Trims

SE, Sport Nav, S line Nav, Black Edition, S1

Audi A1 trim levels are available across three-door and five-door Sportback body styles and have ben updated throughout the car's life. Below are the current trim levels: if you're buying a used car, you should check to ensure that it comes with all of the equipment that you need.

SE kicks off the range and comes with alloy wheels, digital radio, and a 6.5-inch screen that folds up out of the dashboard, and is controlled with a rotary dial.

Move up to the desirable Sport Nav trim and, as its name suggests, you’ll get a sat nav plus larger alloy wheels, Bluetooth phone connection, plus sports seats and suspension. For no extra cost, new car buyers can deselect the sports suspension, which makes the car more comfortable over bumps and rough roads. These cars also have different driving modes, allowing you to make the car's steering feel sportier.

S line Nav models will appeal to those looking for something a bit sportier, as they have larger 17-inch alloy wheels, a sporty bodykit, which makes the ar look lower and plenty of S line badges dotted around the car.

Black Edition models have still larger 18in graphite alloy wheels and glossy black panels in place of chrome detailing. On top of this come the options of a contrasting paint colour on the roof, alloy wheels up to 18in in size, automatically dipping headlights, panoramic sunroof and leather seats.

S1 models have a different set of trim levels. All come with Audi’s quattro four-wheel drive system and a 231hp 2.0 TFSI petrol engine. An S1 Competition Nav version raises the bar higher still with larger alloy wheels and a high-gloss black styling package. Both are desirable but expensive.

Audi A1 Reliability and warranty

The Audi A1 shares key tried-and-tested components with the previous-generation Volkswagen Polo that was replaced towards the end of 2017, which should offer reassurances about reliability. Ownership surveys tend to suggest that the car has an average number of breakdowns, but it's often ranked poorly in satisfaction surveys, such as the 2017 Auto Express Driver Power poll because of disappointing practicality and ride quality.

The car is supported by a three-year, 60,000-mile new car warranty but cheaper cars such as Hyundais and, most notably, Kias have more generous five and seven years’ cover respectively.

It’s worth aiming for one of the updated cars delivered after summer 2015, which were available with the efficient 1-litre petrol engine and also came with a few minor technology tweaks. These cars start from £8,995 or £130 per month.

If you’re looking for a more powerful version, then you can identify the updated car by the engine power: more recent Audi A1s came with either a 125hp or 150hp (you may see this written as 125PS or 150PS). Older models had 122hp or 140hp.

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